Teen boys arrested after security guard shot dead in San Francisco's Japantown
SAN FRANCISCO -- Police in San Francisco arrested two teenage boys Wednesday night in connection with a fatal shooting that left a security guard dead in the city's Japantown neighborhood.
San Francisco police said in a press statement that officers responded at about 5:07 p.m. to the shooting on the 1500 block of Webster Street between Geary Boulevard and Post Street. They found a security guard, an adult male, suffering from a gunshot wound.
The officers began life-saving measures as medics responded to the scene, but despite the efforts of emergency responders the man was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Carla Seawright told CBS Bay Area how she found out that her 40-year-old brother Gavin was killed while at work.
"I saw it on the news last night. Didn't even think it was him," she explained. "He was just escorting them out. He wasn't even gonna arrest them. He was just taking them out, and they shot him in the head."
Homicide investigators found two juvenile males, a 15-year-old and a 14-year-old, and developed probable cause to arrest them. Both of them were booked into the Juvenile Justice Center.
The 15-year-old was charged with murder, while the 14-year-old was charged with being an accessory to murder.
On Thursday, a memorial was growing outside the Japantown shopping center with flowers, candles, and a strong message: "Rest in peace Gavin."
Executive Director of the Japantown Community Benefit District Grace Horikiri said the community is still in shock after what happened.
"We're working really close to the SFPD and our community. They're really concerned about what happened last night," said Horikiri. "We not only lost a great individual who really just started working here in November and he really had a big connection with the tenants, but also we lost two lives too; the young individuals that committed this crime. So it's heartbreaking."
The concern is real for other employees like Isaiah Spikes, who works in the same shopping center providing COVID testing.
There's a lot of good people around here that are trying to keep this area safe, clean and make sure that everybody gets what they need," said Spikes. "I've never felt so part of a community before and then hearing something like this happened is tragic."
Carla Seawright has a message for the suspects.
"I wanna talk to these guys. I wanna talk to them and ask them, 'What were you thinking? Why? He was letting you go. You could leave the premises, no problem. And you have to turn around and shoot him.' Makes no sense. Makes no sense whatsoever," she said
Police said the investigation remained open and active. Anyone with information about the case was asked to call the SFPD tip line at 415-575-4444 or send a text to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.
